Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away True Pet Upright Vacuum Cleaner

17th July 2017

By Jennifer Watts

Mum, Wife, Gadget Lover & Foodie

This is my first animal-specific vacuum cleaner and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a normal vacuum cleaner now as long as I still have pets. We’ve been having trouble with the cats (2 of them, both old male cats now) for a while. They’re shedding a lot because their fur is thinning, we’ve had trouble getting rid of fleas in flea season, and both my husband and my daughter have asthma which we’ve noticed is worse when there’s a lot of cat hair around so we needed a vacuum cleaner that would do a better job.

Good for Asthma & Allergies

The main thing that attracted me to the Shark NV680UKT was that it’s certified by the British Allergy Foundation. It has an ‘anti-allergen’ seal which is supposed to keep most of the allergens like dust and pet hair that’s vacuumed up inside the vacuum instead of it escaping back into the air. I don’t really know how well this works but I have noticed that my daughter’s chest seems to be better when we use the vacuum cleaner, so I’m taking it as a good thing. Anything that might help her asthma is fine by me!

Lift Away Technology

The Shark NV680UKT is the first Shark vacuum cleaner to have ‘Lift Away’ technology. I think it was the only one to have it when I bought mine but this might have changed now. It means that the main part of the vacuum can be lifted away from the vacuum base so it’s like a portable version, but it’s still got the power of the main vacuum (850 Watts if I remember correctly). This has been good because I gave up with portable vacuums years ago because the suction was always terrible, and it means I can get the vacuum into all the hard-to-reach areas that the cats like to sleep in, like on top of the doors.

Use

When I first opened the box it looked really complicated because there was 4 different attachments that all did different things. However it was quick to get the hang of and although I don’t use all the attachments regularly, I at least know what they’re for! I have a bad back but it’s not as bad using the Shark NV680UKT as it was when I was using my old vacuum cleaner because it’s quite light so I don’t have to put as much effort in. It weighs 6.3kg, which is lighter than the Dyson DC40 which I was also looking at. The Dyson DC40 is the comparable Dyson model, so if you want lightweight, Shark is better.

Appearance

Not much to say here really. It’s a perfectly decent looking vacuum cleaner. Nothing particularly special or standout about it, but it’s fine. It does have a few hints of dark red so it’s got a splash of colour without being too in your face. As far as vacuum cleaners go, it’s a pretty standard-looking model.

Practicalities

The 8 metre cord length is fantastic and it’s probably the only vacuum cleaner I’ve had that does my entire downstairs without me needing to change sockets so this gets a big thumbs up! There are a few little niggles I have with this model, though. I find the 1 litre capacity to be way too small for a large house with 2 cats and I have to empty the bin a few times when I do a full-house vacuum. The Dyson that I had before this one had a 1.6 litre capacity which was a lot better. Also, it’s pretty loud. At 83.5 decibels it’s probably one of the loudest vacuums I’ve had, so no more cleaning when the kids are asleep. Otherwise, I think this vacuum cleaner is great. I don’t think my house has never been so clean!